


Half As Much

by LoveCorrah



Category: I Saw the Light (2015), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-08
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-25 14:11:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6198118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveCorrah/pseuds/LoveCorrah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom gets a call from Rodney Crowell two months before beginning filming ‘I Saw The Light,’ to learn a bit from a Hank Williams expert. She just happens to be young and beautiful, and very talented. Guitar strings won’t be the only strings being played… we’re talking heartstrings here, folks.(Pardon the bad pun!)  ;-)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Handsome Shadow

**                                                                   **

 

** Prologue**

          The iPhone buzzed to life against the wooden dining table. Long, slender fingers wrapped around the vibrating metal device, before swiping one of those agile fingers across the screen.  
          “Hello?”  
          “Tom, Rodney here.”  
          “Oh, hello Rodney!” Tom Hiddleston had been expecting a call from Rodney Crowell very soon, since they had been working together in preparation for a film. Tom had been cast in the role of the highly-acclaimed, and also highly-troubled Hank Williams. It was a role that he was taking great pride in developing, and he took the role very seriously. They were set to begin filming in Louisiana in two months, so Tom was enjoying a bit of downtime at his flat in London, before making the long trek to swamp country.  
          “Tom, I was thinking… There’s a little guitar shop in Shreveport, that our band uses all the time. Every time we need an instrument fixed, we send it there. Anyway, the shop is owned by a man named Charles Blanchet, but is run by a sweet girl named Adley Emerson. She really knows her way around instruments, and knows more about Hank than most people I know. It would do you good to spend a little time with her, she could help you on your guitar, and perfect some of your mannerisms.”  
          Tom was wincing at this point. He had wanted to spend some more time at home, but it sounded like that was about to come to an abrupt end.  
         “So, what do you think? Can you go to Louisiana a little early? I really think it would be worth your time… maybe she can teach you something that I haven’t. If I didn’t think it was important, I wouldn’t ask you to go… I really trust this girl, Tom… she knows her stuff.”  
         “Um… well, okay, Rodney. I _suppose_ it couldn’t hurt. When do I need to be there?”  
         “I still need to call her and make arrangements… How about next week, if that works for her?”  
         Tom sighed as he propped his elbow on the table and lifted his hand to his forehead. “That’s terribly soon… but I’ll be there.”  
        “Good! I’ll call her now…”

 

                                                         

  **Chapter One**

 

            “If that phone rings _one_ more time today…” I huffed as I ran behind the counter, chasing that damned ringing telephone. It had been a very long day at the shop, and I was completely exhausted. I made it through three guitar lessons, two banjo lessons, and a fiddle lesson that afternoon, and my fingers felt like they were about to bleed… plus, my head was pounding like a drum.  
           “Blanchet’s Vintage Music. Adley speaking.”  
           “Hi, Adley. It’s Rodney Crowell.”  
            _Shit._ “Oh, hello Mr. Crowell! What can I do for you today?” I grimaced, knowing that I sounded a little _too_ bitchy when I answered the phone. Mr. Crowell was one of our very best, and nicest, customers.  
           “Adley, I have a favor to ask.”  
           “Sure, name it!”  
           “I have been working with an actor for that movie they are making about Hank Williams. He begins filming there in Shreveport in a couple of months. I was wondering… do you think it would be possible for him to come early? Maybe see if you can teach him a thing or two?”  
           “Oh… um… Mr. Crowell, I am flattered, but I’m not sure I could teach him anything you haven’t already.”  
           “I think you can! You know more about Hank Williams’ music and life, than anyone else I know. I think it would be good for him to hang around someone closer to his age, instead of just us old fogeys.” He laughed. “There are still a few small improvements that I think he needs to make, and you could help him. He won’t be a bother, just let him shadow you… and teach him when you have a few spare moments.”  
          _Great._ He didn’t understand that those spare moments at the shop didn’t come very often. I really couldn’t tell him no… Mr. Crowell had given the store so much business, so begrudgingly, I agreed.  
          “I’ll do what I can for him. When should I expect him to arrive?”  
          “I’m not sure. He will have to see when he can get away. Expect him one day next week… He’ll be flying in from London.”  
          “Okay, great.”  
          “Thanks for doing this for me, Adley! I will owe you one.”  
           “No, you don’t owe me anything! You’re very welcome, Mr. Crowell.”  
           After putting the phone back onto it’s cradle a little harder than necessary, I propped my elbows on the counter and put my face into my hands. _Damn_. I was going to have to babysit this actor, who’s probably too cocky for his own good… _I couldn’t wait_. I dipped my fingers underneath the plastic of the ‘open’ sign, quickly flipping it to ‘closed’ and locked the door.  
          “Who was that?” A male voice came from behind me, making me jump. It was Bridger, the man that did most of the repair work on the instruments. He was around my age and very attractive, with his deep blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes… but we spent so much time together here in the store, that we were more like siblings than anything else.  
         “That was Rodney Crowell… he’s asked me to let some actor shadow me for a month or so. He’s playing Hank Williams in a movie, and Rodney thinks I can help him out.”  
         “Oh… Well, that ought to make you feel good. An actor, huh? Is he famous?”  
         “I have no idea, Bridger. I forgot to even ask who I should be looking for, and he didn’t tell me. He’ll be here next week, anyway, and then I guess we’ll see.”  
         He chuckled. “How do you always seem to get yourself into these situations?”  
         I sighed as she shook her head. “I don’t know. That’s my luck.”  
        We took some time getting things ready to close… I did the books, while Bridger swept and cleaned up the store. I was thankful to see that the books balanced perfectly, and locked the cash bag in the safe.  
        “Bridger! I’m finished. I’ll let you out.” I smiled at him as he followed me to the door, crossing the threshold as I opened it for him. “I’ll see you in the morning.”  
        “Alright, Adley. Have a good night.”  
         Nodding, I closed the door behind him and turned both locks before retreating back into the beautiful abyss of stringed instruments. There was a very nice loft apartment above the store, that Mr. Blanchet let me live in for dirt cheap, so that I could be around the shop all the time… a blessing and a curse, if you asked me. The stairs to access the apartment were in the back, in Bridger’s workroom, and I trudged up them slowly in my boots… cringing as my feet ached with every step I took.  
         The door stuck sometimes, so I had to do a weird little jiggle to push it open, finally closing it behind me and collapsing onto my fluffy couch. I loved my little apartment. It was completely open, except for the bathroom and closet. The walls were distressed, exposed red brick, the floor was white-washed wood, and the dark wood ceilings were tall with bronze fans hanging from the ceiling beam. My living room, and small dining table were to the left side of the loft, beside the enormous windows, my kitchen was in the middle of the room, and my bed was set up to the far right near the bathroom. It was perfect for a single woman… especially one that didn’t spend much time at home. The hot, inviting shower relieved the kinks in my muscles, and I crept into my antique wrought iron bed, surrounding myself with pillows, and drifting off to sleep quickly.  
  
                                                   ***  
  
            The next few days went by in a blur, and were as busy as all of the others. The deal I had made with Mr. Crowell was the furthest thing from my mind as I went on with my business. I had a fiddle lesson in ten minutes with a thirteen year old girl, and I was trying to make those ten minutes stretch. She arrived a little early, so I asked Bridger to come to the front so that I could go into the teaching room and start her lesson. Her name was Amelia and she was one of my advanced students, with perfect form and a natural talent. We were a third of the way through a song called ‘The Lighthouse’s Tale’ when her face went pale, as though she had seen a ghost. She stopped playing, and turned as still as a statue, as she looked through the window into the shop.  
          “Amelia? Are you okay?”  
          “Umm… Adley… I think that is Tom Hiddleston.”  
          “Who?”  
           I turned around and looked through the pane of glass, noticing a handsome, very tall man looking at us.  
          “Oh my God, _it is_.” She said as she sunk down in her chair, trying to disappear into it.  
          “Amelia, who is Tom Hiddleston? And why is he making you squirm around like that?”  
          “Loki? The Avengers? Thor? War Horse? Hello? He’s freaking famous, and he’s in your shop!” She began to tear up, her little bottom lip trembling.  
          “Ohh…” It finally dawned on me. He was my new shadow. “Okay, calm down, Amelia. I’ll be right back.”  
          I put my fiddle down in my seat, and wiped my sweaty hands down my ripped jeans. How can this man make a thirteen year old girl so giddy? She was being ridiculous! I chuckled as I opened the door and entered the shop. My eyes started at his worn brown boots and moved up… and up… _and up_ those long legs clad flawlessly in dark denim. He was wearing a casual, tight, deep grey t-shirt that ebbed and flowed perfectly over his chest. He was lean, but muscular, and stood with a very dominating stance… legs spread wide, with his hands thrust deeply into his pockets. His pants were so tight, I found myself wondering how he had wedged them in there.  
        “Hi, can I help you?”  
        “Oh, uh… yes. My name is Tom Hiddleston. I am looking for Adley.”  
        This man was gorgeous. _Damn it._  
        “I’m Adley.”  
        “Nice to meet you, Adley. Thank you for having me.”  
         I was shocked when he opened his arms and drew me into a tight hug. Normally, I wasn’t a very ‘touchy’ person. I liked my space… but, this felt too good to shy away from. His scent flooded my nose, and I breathed him in deeply, pulling him into my lungs… fresh, green, and mouth-watering.  
       He pulled away from me, and grinned as he looked around the shop. “Nice place you’ve got here.”  
      “Oh, thanks. Um… I am in the middle of a fiddle lesson.” I nodded my head toward the window, and noticed that Amelia was peering through the window, but disappeared quickly as soon as she noticed us looking at her. I couldn’t help but giggle at her. “My student is apparently a fan of yours, she’s a bit nervous. I still have a few minutes left with her. Would you like to sit in on the rest of the lesson? I can show you around the shop after that.”  
        “I would love that. As long as you don’t think I will scare the poor girl.”  
        “I think she’ll be okay. I’m sure she would love to meet you… Plus, she’ll have something to brag about to her friends.” I smiled at Tom, and he reciprocated my smile. He was gorgeous. His dark blonde hair was haphazardly styled, making me wonder if he had just woken up, and his light blue eyes pierced my deep blues. I cleared my throat, after realizing that I was staring at this man. _Lord, please help me keep my wits about me._  
        “Let’s go, I’ll introduce you.” As we stepped into the room, Amelia’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates. “Amelia, you were right. This is Mr. Tom Hiddleston.”  
        “I know! _OHMIGOSH_ , I am so happy to meet you! You were the best Loki, and I seriously cried during _that_ scene in War Horse…”  
        He laughed. “Thank you, Amelia. I am honored that you like my work.”  
        She nodded her head enthusiastically.  
       “Ok, Amelia, we still have to finish your lesson. We have fifteen minutes left. Mr. Hiddleston, you can grab that chair to the side over there if you’d like.”  
       “Thanks… and please, call me Tom.”  
         I gave him a quick nod, as I turned my attention back to Amelia. “Okay, let’s start ‘A Lighthouse’s Tale’ again. Get back into form.” She lifted her fiddle to her chin, and with a sweep of our horse hair bows across the strings, we were playing again in unison. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Tom propping his elbow onto the arm of the chair and resting his chin in his hand. He was smiling that beautiful smile, and I prayed silently that I could continue to play with him looking at me like that. I was finally able to block him from my mind, and luckily, finish the lesson.  
        “Okay Amelia, that’s it for today. I am going to get a new bow for you to try out next time. I think it’s time you upgraded.”  
         She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Adley… I think it’s time _you_ upgraded too.” She tilted her head toward Tom and wiggled her eyebrows at me.  
        My face immediately turned red. “Amelia! I think I can handle my own business, thank you very much. Now go! I’ll see you next Tuesday.”  
        “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Hiddleston.” She nervously smiled at Tom, as he stood and approached us.  
        “It was nice to meet you too, Amelia! I’m sure I will see you Tuesday.” He opened his arms and pulled her into a hug, making her giggle giddily. This man must really be a hugger. He released her, and she ran from the room.  
        “You’re very good.” He said, after the door closed behind her.  
        “Excuse me?”  
        “You play the violin very well. I’m amazed, actually. You are very graceful.”  
        “Oh wow… well, thank you.” I hoped that I didn’t look nearly as flushed as I felt. “You _are_ in the South, Tom… down here it’s a fiddle.”  
        “Ah, yes… I’m sorry.”  
        I grinned at him. “Don’t apologize. Come on, the shop looks mostly empty. I’ll show you around.” I led him through the door, and back into the center of the shop. “The first room we’ll go to is the guitar room… both acoustic and electric are in here. You’ll like it. You’re welcome to any of the instruments here, Tom. We’ll work a bit on your fingering as we get further into it.”  
        _Oh, God._.. yes, I just told Tom Hiddleston that we would work on his _fingering_. He didn’t seem to be phased by the phrase, even though I wanted to sink into the floor. I said that daily, but it felt a bit different saying it to him… almost dirty. I gathered my thoughts as he looked through the guitars, and after a moment, I noticed that my thoughts had drifted somewhere they shouldn’t be. Tall men were my weakness, and Tom was certainly no exception to that rule.  
       “Adley, what kind of guitar is this?” He asked, as he pulled a lovely vintage selection from the wall.  
         I grinned, he had picked out my favorite. “That is a Paramount Style L from 1940, and extremely rare. It’s got a Brazilian Rosewood back, with a solid spruce top, the neck is mahogany, and it’s got the original bar frets. The tuners are vintage, and the strings play very clearly. I just tuned it last week. It’s absolutely lovely.” I watched as he ran his long, slender fingers over the curved shape of the guitar. I certainly never thought I would want to be an instrument… until that very moment.  
         “It certainly is lovely. Do you mind if I play it?” He asked hopefully.  
        “Not at all. Take your time. Here’s a pick.” I pulled a black pick out of my pocket, and handed it to him. He smiled, accepted it gratefully, and took a seat in one of the chairs, cradling the guitar underneath his arm. He pressed his fingers against the strings on the neck, and began to strum lightly. I recognized the song immediately… ‘Half As Much’ by Hank Williams. Tom was much better on the guitar than I expected, but when he opened his mouth to sing, I was blown away. I watched his thin lips move as the lyrics flowed from his mouth.  
  
            _“I know that I would never be this blue_  
_If you only loved me half as much as I love you.”_  
  
        An involuntary smile crept to my mouth as he sang to me… beautiful words, coming from an equally beautiful man. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ He finished and laughed bashfully.  
        “I’m sorry, I got a little carried away.”  
         “No, it’s okay, I enjoyed it. I can tell you have worked very hard so far. You really remind me of a modern-day Hank. It’s uncanny, really.”  
         He looked at me for a moment, and it seemed as if time stood still. I had only known this man for an hour, and already, I felt blissful and content around him. He cleared his throat and stood up, and I wondered if he was feeling the electricity too.  
         “Well, I love this guitar, Adley. Mind if I keep it and play it awhile? I will pay you for it.”  
         “Oh, no, Tom. Consider it yours. I think it was meant to be yours. She’s a beauty.”  
         “Yes, she certainly is.” He smirked as he looked down on me, and I knew he could see the pink spread across my cheeks at his compliment.  
         “I think I am going to like it here, Adley…”  
         “Oh? Why is that?”  
         “Just a _hunch_ …”


	2. Rescue Me!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to say something about this fic, you guys. In it, I will portray a few of Tom's 'fans' as completely nuts... and I will portray some of them as doing pretty bad things... Believe me, I know his fans aren't really that way. I don't want anyone to take offense... I promise, I KNOW Tom's fans are amazing. ;) I just wanted to make that perfectly clear. ;)

 

                                                         

            The morning light woke me as it glittered through the windows of my apartment in cheery, bright rays. I stretched my legs in the opposite direction of my arms, and rolled over, looking at my alarm clock. Eight a.m… _ugh, much too early._ The store didn’t open until ten, so I always set my alarm for nine, and then scrambled around trying to get ready and eat breakfast in that hour. That was my style… rush, rush, rush. I got bored very easily if I had too much time on my hands, so I tried to stay busy.  
            I laid there, clutching my spare pillow, and my mind drifted to the day before… I would have been lying to myself if I had said that I knew who Tom Hiddleston was. Honestly, I had never heard of him. I had seen The Avengers in the theater with my then-boyfriend, and thought that the man that played Loki was kind of… well, _really_ … hot, but after the movie, I never thought anymore about it. I always liked the alpha-males. The assertive confident type... witty… calculating… strong and protective. From what I had seen yesterday, I got that vibe from him. The dominating way in which he stood, the politeness he exuded when he spoke with Amelia, the way he took that guitar off of the wall and commanded control, playing it with confidence… even though he might not be perfect.  
           As I thought more about Tom, I realized that my stomach was clenched with nervousness. I wasn’t in school anymore, but here I was with a crush… a twenty-seven year old woman with a crush!  _Snap out of it, Adley._ I sighed as I threw the covers off of me… maybe a shower will cool me down. I scrubbed myself with my coconut shower gel, and gave my long, dark blonde hair a good blow-dry to make it smooth– even though by the end of the day, I knew it would be up in a topknot. I applied a bit of light make-up, and touched up my soft pink nail polish. My short nails take a beating with all the instruments I have to play during the day, and I feel like I am always having to fix them. I slipped into my dark grey fitted t-shirt that says “Hello Darlin’,” my almost-too-short, distressed, dark denim cutoffs, and worn brown cowboy boots. I went to the cabinet, and retrieved the breakfast of champions… a chocolate chip pop-tart, and shoved it into the toaster.  
          I let out a large yawn, and as I stared at the toaster I heard a commotion outside. Strange… it’s normally quiet outside before the shop opens. Walking to the window, I immediately noticed what the noise was. Tom had arrived a bit early, and a group of girls had accumulated at the door. He was being very gracious it seemed, giving autographs and taking pictures, but each second that passed more and more people appeared. The poor guy was going to be ripped to pieces if I didn’t help him! I grabbed my keys, ran down the stairs, and through the shop. As I unlocked the door, he turned around and raised his eyebrows at me, before slipping into the shop. With a bit of force, I pushed the door closed before locking it back into place.  
         “Wow… you drew a bit of a crowd, Tom.”  
         “Um… yeah. I’m sorry. I had no idea they were there when I was let out of the car. Thank goodness you were here.”  
          I giggled. “No need to apologize. Is it always like that? Girls just throwing themselves at you?”  
         “Um… Most of the time, yeah.” He gave me a sheepish grin and a shrug of his shoulders.  
         “Most men would love to have that problem, you know.”  
         “I love my fans, sure… but it would be nice to be able to walk down the street every once in a while.” He laughed as he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.  
         “I bet. Well, I left my breakfast cooking upstairs. Want to come?”  
         “Sure. I’ll follow you.”  
         I led the way through the shop, and Bridger’s workroom, before starting back up the dark stairway.  
         “Where are we going?” He asked, a bit uneasily.  
         “Why? You nervous?” I turned back to him to wiggle my eyebrows, but noticed that his eyes were on my backside as we climbed the stairs. Knowing that I caught him looking at me, his eyes darted up to my face, and even in the dark stairwell I could see the pink blush spread across his face. A timid laugh escaped his lips, as we finally reached the door of my apartment. I wiggled the knob before pushing the door open. “This is where I live, Tom. Mr. Blanchet lets me live here because I take care of the shop.”  
         “Oh… _wow_. You don’t get frightened up here by yourself?”  
         “Sometimes… but I’m tough. If I hear a booger, I’ll just grab my gun.”  
         “ _Booger?_ ”  
         “Yeah, you know… an intruder.”  
         “Oh…” He let out hearty laugh. I didn’t know if I should laugh too, or be offended. “I must get used to these expressions that are used in the South.”  
         “We’ll work on that.” I winked before leading him into my apartment. _Thank goodness I just cleaned_.  
         “Wait… you have a gun in here?”  
         “Of course I do… I can’t really rely on my karate skills to protect myself.”  
          He chuckled. “I guess not. This is a nice flat you’ve got here.”  
         “Thanks. Make yourself at home. Hungry? Coffee? I know you British gents like your hot tea. Sorry, the only kind of tea I have is sweet and icy.”  
         “That’s okay, Adley. I’ll take some coffee, cream and sugar, thanks.” He replied as he walked around looking at my apartment. I watched as his eyes took in some of the artwork that hung on my walls. I heard the breath hitch in his throat as he came across the large framed drawing of a man’s torso… In this man’s hands, he just happened to be holding a leather belt. Beside that, was a large framed picture of a mugshot of a young, dark-haired Johnny Cash.  
         “This is very… _interesting_.” He laughed as he looked at the framed words that hung on my wall. “I have heard this poem before… I have to say, that I have never seen it hanging on someone’s wall, though.”  
          I shrugged as I retrieved my pop-tart from the toaster. “It’s one of my favorites…”  
          _Please don’t read it out loud, please don’t read it out loud._  
         He grinned as he began to read it aloud.  
          _Damn._

          “Whatever happens with us, your body  
          will haunt mine- tender, delicate  
         your love-making, like the half-curled frond  
         of the fiddlehead fern in forests  
         just washed by the sun. Your traveled, generous thighs  
         between which my whole face has come and come—  
         the innocence and wisdom of the place my tongue has found  
         there—  
         the live, insatiate dance of your nipples in my mouth—  
         your touch on me, firm, protective, searching  
        me out, your strong tongue and slender fingers  
        reaching where I had been waiting years for you  
        in my rose-wet cave— whatever happens, this is.”

         It sounded even more perfect and erotic coming out of his mouth. Those deep, velvety tones, mixed with that thick British accent… The way he read it made me think he was talking right to me, and I hung on every perfectly pronounced syllable.  
        “My, quite the poem, there. Having it framed on your wall tells me a lot about you…” He shoved his hands in his pockets and slowly walked back over to me.  
        Here comes the flushed cheeks. “About _me?_ What do you mean?”  
        “Well, you like pleasure, obviously…”  
         Ok, now he’s rendering me unable to eat… I’ll just throw my pop tart in the garbage. Maybe coffee will do me better, anyway.  
         He continued… “but, maybe you don’t take the time to get the pleasure you deserve. You seem very devoted to this shop.”  
         My hands trembled as they added sugar to his coffee, stirring it to quickly dissolve the granules. I placed the white mug in front of him that had a drawing of a whale and read ‘Mornings Blow,’ and grinned.  
        “There’s your coffee.”  
         He chuckled as he saw the mug. “Thank you.”  
        “Mmm-hmm.”  
        A loud, deep voice came from the other side of the door. “Adley, are you dressed?”  
        “Yes, Bridger, come on in!”  
        “Did you see all the people out fro-” He stopped as he saw Tom in my apartment. “Oh, hi. We didn’t get to meet yesterday… I’m Bridger.”  
        “Nice to meet you, I’m Tom.”  
        Bridger nodded. “What are we going to do about all the people out front?”  
         I shrugged. “I have no idea… We can’t hide up here all day. Tom? Any suggestions?”  
         He shook his head as he took a small sip of coffee and had a seat in my chair. “None. I’m incredibly sorry, I didn’t realize this was going to happen.”  
         “Well… I guess I could go down and try to talk to them… Although, I don’t have a clue of what to say.” As I looked at both men, they nodded their heads in agreement. _Nice. Throw me to the wolves._ “Fine. I’ll be back… but you both owe me.”  
         I traipsed down the stairs, and back to the front of the store. The first girl that spotted me began to jump up and down and scream, prompting the rest to join in with her. I unlocked the door and peeked my head out, placing my finger in front of my mouth to try and restore some quiet on the quaint little street. Our neighbors were going to _kill_ us. The girls all began to yell questions at me, ranging from “ _Where’s Tom_?” to “ _Are you his girlfriend_?” and of course “ _Please ask Tom to come back out!_ ”  
        “Ladies, please. Tom is here studying for his role as Hank Williams. Our shop is very busy as it is, so please don’t hinder our business! We’re opening in fifteen minutes, so please respect him, as well as our shop, and be on your way.”  
         A few daggers of angry and hurt looks were shot my way, but eventually the crowd began to disperse. Thank goodness. Mr. Blanchet would have my head, probably literally, if he heard a complaint about his store being overrun by screaming girls.  
         As I climbed back up my stairs, I heard Bridger and Tom laughing quietly but that immediately stopped when I opened my door. They both looked up at me, smiling guiltily. “What’s so funny?”  
         Bridger spoke up. “Nothing, Adley. I’ve got to go get ready to open!”  
         He rushed past me, as I narrowed my eyes at Tom. “What were you guys talking about? Were you making fun of me?”  
         “Oh… no! Of course not, darling.”  
         A smirk crossed my lips. “I’m not your darling, Tom. You’ll learn that rather quickly.”  
         He raised one eyebrow at me as he stood, almost daring me to continue. “Oh no?”  
         I shook my head. “Nope. I’m no one’s _‘darling’_. Now, let’s get to work. Grab your coffee and guitar— follow me.”  
        He chuckled before agreeing. “As you wish.”  
        He followed me down into a small room in the back of the shop. It was occasionally used as a storage area, but I had taken everything out and added a couple of comfortable chairs and a couch. I figured Tom and I would need somewhere quiet and private to study, and this provided the perfect little getaway room.  
       “Ah, this is nice.” Tom mentioned as he placed his coffee mug on the small table and claimed his seat on the couch.  
       “Thanks. I figured we would need somewhere private to concentrate…”  
       “Indeed.” He flashed a large grin at me as he unlatched the three buckles that held his guitar case closed. I could stare at his smile all day, but I couldn’t let _him_ on to that fact, could I?  
       I cleared my throat as I gingerly sat in the fluffy chair. “Tom, I know that you’ve studied Hank and his life inside and out… I just want you to concentrate on how passionate he was. People _believed_ him when he sang, because he sang about his life. When he sang about being in the doghouse, it’s because he was literally in the doghouse with Audrey at that time. His life was full of pain, and he drew from that for many of his songs. He lived his music. It’s true that Hank had some… unsavory aspects about him. He was a womanizer… a terrible husband… and a drug and alcohol addict, but he was also one of the most honest artists that has ever lived.”  
       “You’re very right, Adley. It’s an honor to be able to do this… I’m a bit nervous about the role, I have to be honest. I have confidence that I can play the role… I just want to do Mr. Williams’ life justice.”  
        I smiled at Tom’s uneasy expression, and reached out to pat his knee. “Oh, you’ll do great! I _know_ you will… After all, I was very impressed yesterday when you sang ‘Half As Much’ in the guitar room.”  
        His gaze drifted down to rest on my hand that was still on his knee, before his expression softened and he looked into my eyes. “Thank you, darling.”  
        I laughed, before watching Tom realize what he had just said. “Oh, yes… no darlings, right? I’m sorry, I forgot.”  
        “I’ll let it slide this time, Tom… next time, I won’t be as lenient.” I winked as I reached over to unbuckle the clasps on my own instrument case, retrieving my trusty mandolin from the soft red fur interior.  
        “Yes, ma’am. I shall remember.” His eyes grew wide as he got a look at what I had in my hands. “Wow, what a beautiful instrument!”  
        I smiled warmly as I looked down on the mandolin. “Thanks, Tom. It’s a Vintage Gibson Sunburst from 1954. It was my daddy’s.”  
       “I bet he loves to watch you play it.”  
       “Um…” _Hold it together, Adley. How should I answer this?_ “He doesn’t get to hear me play very often anymore.” _There, that should suffice._  
       “I’m so sorry… did I say something wrong?”  
       “No, not at all. It’s fine!” I cleared my throat again. “So, how about we do a song… together?” I asked.  
       “I’d like that. Very much.”  
       “Hmm… How about I Saw the Light? That seems appropriate.”  
       “Yes, I agree. I’ll follow.” He said as he nodded toward my mandolin.  
       I used my pick to play the first few notes of the song, and soon enough, Tom had joined in. Our voices blended perfectly together and rebounded of the walls of the small room beautifully.

       “I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin  
        I wouldn’t let my dear savior in  
       Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night  
       Praise the Lord I saw the light.

       I saw the light, I saw the light  
       No more darkness, no more night  
       Now I’m so happy, no sorrow in sight  
       Praise the Lord, I saw the light.”

       I _loved_ watching him play and sing. The way he looked into my eyes as we sang was something I had never experienced before. I wondered if he looked at everyone like that, or if there was something a little more special between us? I jumped as the door creaked open, and Bridger poked his head in.  
      “Adley, sorry to interrupt. Mikey is on the phone and wants to make sure you remembered tonight?”  
      I could _kill_ Bridger. “Oh, uh… of course I remembered. Tell him I’ll see him at eight!”  
      He nodded at me before he closed the door.  
      “Okay, Tom. I probably need to help for a while in the store. Want to take a break for a little while? You’re more than welcome to hang out upstairs if you want.”  
      He nodded as he put his guitar safely in his case. “Fine. Adley?”  
      “Yes?”  
      “Do you have a date tonight?”  
       I laughed and looked up at him. “Oh gosh… _no._ I belong to a band, and we have a little gig tonight.”  
      “Band?” Tom smiled that megawatt grin. “What kind of band?”  
      “Um… bluegrass. We’re called Adley and the Swamp Water Boys. Great name, right?” I laughed.  
      “That sounds great. Mind if I tag along?”  
      “Oh… are you sure? It’s probably not really up your alley.”  
      Tom huffed. “I suppose you know what’s ‘ _up my alley_ ’?”  
      “Well… if you’d like to come, you are more than welcome.”  
      “Great, I’ll pick you up at 7:30. How’s that?”  
      “Absolutely perfect.” I grinned.  
      Now, I needed to get to work and make the rest of the day pass quickly. After all, tonight _I_ had a date with Tom Hiddleston. 

 

 


End file.
